The Marlins announced a quartet of roster moves this morning. Striker Graham Pauley and on the left Dax Fulton they were optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. The right hand Stephen Jones‘ contract optioned to Double-A, and an outfielder Heriberto Hernandez remembered again. Miami had the option to move Jones to the 40-man roster after this week’s DFA of the veteran. Chris Paddack. However, with high hopes Robby Snelling guaranteed to start on Friday and needing a 40-man spot, the Fish will now need to make the 40-man roster between today and tomorrow’s game to include Snelling on the roster.
This is the first time in almost a year that Pauley has been sent to the minors. He took most of Miami’s reps at third this season but struggled mightily, hitting just .173/.225/.293 in 81 plate appearances. Pauley didn’t offer much at bat last year, either, but his .224/.311/.366 slash (184 plate appearances) was miles better than what he’s posted so far in 2026. Pauley actually chases a few more pitches at the plate and makes contact on a high percentage of his swings, but because he’s often called a regular hit, the runs that are often called a regular strike tend to be in the wrong direction.
A brief reset for 25-year-old Pauley could help him. He turned in a solid .263/.342/.511 (127 wRC+) batting line in 37 games with the Marlins’ Jacksonville organization in 2025, walking at a quality clip of 9% against a paltry 11.6% strikeout rate. With Pauley playing an above-average third base, Miami will take an average offense from his bat.
With Pauley looking to get back on track in Jacksonville, the Fish will likely turn to third baseman Javier Sanoja, though outfielders Leo Jimenez and Christopher Morel could also be in the mix. Morel was signed as a first baseman and is a poor defender at third base, but he has experience there. Connor Norby — also experienced at third base — has been the first option at first, but the Marlins could at least consider bringing him back across the diamond at some point. Broadly speaking, manager Clayton McCullough will have a number of situations to consider, though none stand out as worthy.
Jones, 28, will make his first major league debut. He is a Rockies outfielder who spent the 2025 season in the Padres system and signed a minor league deal with the Marlins over the winter. Jones opened the 2026 season with 16 2/3 innings and a 3.24 ERA. He has given up six earned runs on 10 hits and 13 problematic walks, racking up 19 punchouts in the series. Jones’ 25.7% strikeout rate isn’t backed up by his subpar 8.5% swinging-strikeout rate, however, and his massive 17.6% walk rate is an obvious red flag. He’ll get a chance to show he can play it in the majors, but he’ll need to improve his ability to miss bats and, more importantly, get back to that walk if he’s going to have staying power.
